For example, the police took action in Nantes, Brest and Bordeaux, where tear gas was fired. Several people have been arrested. There are also demonstrations in Caen, Saint-Étienne, Dijon, Grenoble, Toulouse, Marseille, Valence and Le Havre.
Demonstrators are also on their feet in Paris. Police banned new protests near the French parliament in the capital on Saturday. The ban was imposed because of “serious risks of public order disturbance” and applies to Place de la Concorde, among others. There have been confrontations between demonstrators and the police in recent days. Nearby metro stations are closed. People are still calling on social media to come to the square.
The square is located near the French House of Representatives, where Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne announced on Thursday afternoon that he would use a constitutional article to push through pension reforms. Parliament is thus sidelined. The reform allows for an increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64.
LOOK. French government pushes through reform without vote
There have been protests against the controversial pension reform of President Emmanuel Macron for weeks. The government’s decision to push through the plans through a constitutional article and to sideline parliament, however, added fuel to the fire.